Best Space Pictures of the Week - Sept. 22, 2012

By SPACE.com Staff |
September 22, 2012 05:56am ET

MORE

Photos: Shuttle Endeavour's California Sightseeing Tour

Credit: Sam Veta

Photographer Sam Veta snapped this photo of NASA's space shuttle Endeavour flying over the iconic Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory during its arrival in Los Angeles on Sept. 21, 2012, to be placed on public display at the California Science Center. [Full Photo Gallery]

Spectacular Nebula Shines Bright in Night Sky Photo

Credit: Tom O'Donoghue

Brilliant colors swirl and glow in the Rho Ophiuchi Nebula, as seen in this beautiful night sky image. [Full Story]

Stunning Hubble Telescope Photo Captures Star-Forming Galaxy

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA; Acknowledgement: R. Tugral

The Hubble Space Telescope has snapped a gorgeous photo of a faraway spiral galaxy, confirming that it is indeed churning out new stars at a rapid rate. [Full Story]

Slooh Space Camera's Night Sky: Cosmic Photos by Amateur Astronomers

Credit: SLOOH Space Camera

This photo of Iris Nebula, NGC 7023, in the constellation of Cepheus, was captured by an amateur astronomer using the Slooh Space Camera, an online night sky observing service that allows users to observe the sky using telescopes around the world. [Full Photo Gallery]

Photographer Spies Stunning Crescent Moon Over France

Northwestern Wildfires Spotted from Space

It's been a bad summer for wildfires, and even with autumn's cooler temperatures approaching, the fires still burn. [Full Story]

Photos: Space Station's Expedition 32 Crew Lands on Earth

Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi

Expedition 32 NASA Flight Engineer signs the side of his Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft shortly after he landed with his crew mates Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin of Russia in a remote area near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2012. Acaba, Padalka and Revin returned from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. [Full Photo Gallery]

6 Wheels on Mars: Curiosity Rover's Ground-Level View

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity snapped a panoramic shot of its own wheels and underbelly on Sept. 9, 2012, about five weeks after landing on the Red Planet. [Full Story]

Amazing Photos from Dark Energy Camera in Chile

Photos: Shuttle Endeavour's California Sightseeing Tour

Credit: Sam Veta

Photographer Sam Veta snapped this photo of NASA's space shuttle Endeavour flying over the iconic Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory during its arrival in Los Angeles on Sept. 21, 2012, to be placed on public display at the California Science Center. [Full Photo Gallery]

Spectacular Nebula Shines Bright in Night Sky Photo

Credit: Tom O'Donoghue

Brilliant colors swirl and glow in the Rho Ophiuchi Nebula, as seen in this beautiful night sky image. [Full Story]

Stunning Hubble Telescope Photo Captures Star-Forming Galaxy

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA; Acknowledgement: R. Tugral

The Hubble Space Telescope has snapped a gorgeous photo of a faraway spiral galaxy, confirming that it is indeed churning out new stars at a rapid rate. [Full Story]

Slooh Space Camera's Night Sky: Cosmic Photos by Amateur Astronomers

Credit: SLOOH Space Camera

This photo of Iris Nebula, NGC 7023, in the constellation of Cepheus, was captured by an amateur astronomer using the Slooh Space Camera, an online night sky observing service that allows users to observe the sky using telescopes around the world. [Full Photo Gallery]

Photographer Spies Stunning Crescent Moon Over France

Northwestern Wildfires Spotted from Space

It's been a bad summer for wildfires, and even with autumn's cooler temperatures approaching, the fires still burn. [Full Story]

Photos: Space Station's Expedition 32 Crew Lands on Earth

Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi

Expedition 32 NASA Flight Engineer signs the side of his Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft shortly after he landed with his crew mates Expedition 32 Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin of Russia in a remote area near the town of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, on Monday, Sept. 17, 2012. Acaba, Padalka and Revin returned from five months onboard the International Space Station where they served as members of the Expedition 31 and 32 crews. [Full Photo Gallery]

6 Wheels on Mars: Curiosity Rover's Ground-Level View

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity snapped a panoramic shot of its own wheels and underbelly on Sept. 9, 2012, about five weeks after landing on the Red Planet. [Full Story]